About TDIN

What is the Toronto Drop-in Network (TDIN)?

The Toronto Drop-In Network (TDIN) is an active coalition of over 50 drop-in centres throughout the City of Toronto that works with people who are homeless, marginally housed or socially isolated. Our Network includes drop-ins of all sizes and with a diversity philosophies that serve men, women, transgender people, youth, seniors and families.

TDIN is a member-based organization, which is trusteed by St. Stephen's Community House. A Steering Committee, made up of member representatives and participants oversees TDIN activities. The Steering Committee Members are:

Joanne Clark, The Stop

Meagan Gillard, The Dale Drop-In

Doug Nicol, LAMP Drop-In

Tina Shapiro, Sistering

Lorie Steer, The Corner Drop-In, St. Stephen's Community House (Trustee)

Sara Clenyg-Jones, Agincourt Community Services Association

Monica Sarty, OOTC Dixon Hall

The Steering Committee oversees TDIN activities in these areas:

Standing Committees: Training, Advocacy and Harm Reduction

Training: Through Toronto Hostels Training Centre and other venues as well as development resource documents

Member Engagement: Through General Membership Meetings and special projects

Financial Support: Funds are provided to members to pay for training, back fill of staff for training, and participant engagement activities

In 2015, TDIN updated its Terms of Reference to include the following:

Our Vision: TDIN works toward a socially just Toronto which is safe, healthy and inclusive.

Our Mission: To enhance the capacity of Toronto's network of drop-in centres to improve the quality of life of people who participate.

Our Values: The Toronto Drop-In Network, and its members, strive to be:

Community driven and responsive

Adaptable, innovative and collaborative

Respectful of equity and inclusion of its members and participants

Active inclusion of participant engagement in program design and delivery support participant self-determination

Our Purpose:

Dedicated to practice expertise, service excellence

To provide a voice for drop-ins to advocate for drop-in participants' and drop-in providers' issues using strategies that build participant engagement of drop-in communities and programs

To ensure Drop-In work increases participants' access to community services and supports

To promote standards of best practice for drop-in services

To provide a forum for discussion of issues from the perspective of participants and from both front line and management staff

To support drop-in workers through training and resource sharing

Support organizational capacity

TDIN Membership set out the following strategic priorities to 2017. Members are always welcome to contribute to these aims.

Advocacy

Food Security

Participant Engagement

Neighbourhood Coordination

Social Enterprise

Network Infrastructure

History of the Toronto Drop-in Network

Drop-ins in Toronto started forming networks to advance an understanding of the drop-in model and address issues of common concern in the 1990s. These networks joined to form TDIN: a drop-in sector-led initiative, and a vital communication and capacity building network for the drop-in sector in Toronto. Initiatives have included:

Creation of the Good Practices Toolkit

Developing a made-in-Toronto measurement framework, Measuring Success, to support drop-ins in monitoring and reporting their successes. TDIN and its members partnered with the City in 2016 to update the ICE Tool to be released at the beginning of the 2017/2018.

Providing training to hundreds of drop-in workers, volunteers and participants, including the innovative, "Knowledge is Power" popular education curriculum.

About TDIN

What is the Toronto Drop-in Network (TDIN)?

The Toronto Drop-In Network (TDIN) is an active coalition of over 50 drop-in centres throughout the City of Toronto that works with people who are homeless, marginally housed or socially isolated. Our Network includes drop-ins of all sizes and with a diversity philosophies that serve men, women, transgender people, youth, seniors and families.

TDIN is a member-based organization, which is trusteed by St. Stephen's Community House. A Steering Committee, made up of member representatives and participants oversees TDIN activities. The Steering Committee Members are:

Joanne Clark, The Stop

Meagan Gillard, The Dale Drop-In

Doug Nicol, LAMP Drop-In

Tina Shapiro, Sistering

Lorie Steer, The Corner Drop-In, St. Stephen's Community House (Trustee)

Sara Clenyg-Jones, Agincourt Community Services Association

Monica Sarty, OOTC Dixon Hall

The Steering Committee oversees TDIN activities in these areas:

Standing Committees: Training, Advocacy and Harm Reduction

Training: Through Toronto Hostels Training Centre and other venues as well as development resource documents

Member Engagement: Through General Membership Meetings and special projects

Financial Support: Funds are provided to members to pay for training, back fill of staff for training, and participant engagement activities

In 2015, TDIN updated its Terms of Reference to include the following:

Our Vision: TDIN works toward a socially just Toronto which is safe, healthy and inclusive.

Our Mission: To enhance the capacity of Toronto's network of drop-in centres to improve the quality of life of people who participate.

Our Values: The Toronto Drop-In Network, and its members, strive to be:

Community driven and responsive

Adaptable, innovative and collaborative

Respectful of equity and inclusion of its members and participants

Active inclusion of participant engagement in program design and delivery support participant self-determination

Our Purpose:

Dedicated to practice expertise, service excellence

To provide a voice for drop-ins to advocate for drop-in participants' and drop-in providers' issues using strategies that build participant engagement of drop-in communities and programs

To ensure Drop-In work increases participants' access to community services and supports

To promote standards of best practice for drop-in services

To provide a forum for discussion of issues from the perspective of participants and from both front line and management staff

To support drop-in workers through training and resource sharing

Support organizational capacity

TDIN Membership set out the following strategic priorities to 2017. Members are always welcome to contribute to these aims.

Advocacy

Food Security

Participant Engagement

Neighbourhood Coordination

Social Enterprise

Network Infrastructure

History of the Toronto Drop-in Network

Drop-ins in Toronto started forming networks to advance an understanding of the drop-in model and address issues of common concern in the 1990s. These networks joined to form TDIN: a drop-in sector-led initiative, and a vital communication and capacity building network for the drop-in sector in Toronto. Initiatives have included:

Creation of the Good Practices Toolkit

Developing a made-in-Toronto measurement framework, Measuring Success, to support drop-ins in monitoring and reporting their successes. TDIN and its members partnered with the City in 2016 to update the ICE Tool to be released at the beginning of the 2017/2018.

Providing training to hundreds of drop-in workers, volunteers and participants, including the innovative, "Knowledge is Power" popular education curriculum.